Tag Archives: vigilante of shadows

Post navigation

The third book in the Scarlet Rain Series is finally out! Creator of Shadows is out today, and continues the journey of the immortals, as they battle against Feoran and the darker forces behind him. Read on to find out more!

Blurb

When Lorenna is kidnapped by Feoran, the head of the vampyric Clan, it’s a dent in the Resistance. While she was expecting his twisted advances to her, she didn’t expect to feel something for him in return.

But that’s the least of her problems.

The city is more in ruins than ever, the Cuans being cut off one by one to prevent the rebellious humans taking over any part of New London. And after the discovery made at the Factory, armies of clones now walk the streets, ready to kill and trained viciously by their vampire masters.

The rebels must band together in full force, both to rescue their beloved witch from Feoran’s clutches, and to give the final push against the Clan. But a traitor in the heart of their inner circle is plotting with a vampire who wants more than they have, threatening to bring everything they have worked for tumbling down around them.

Can Lorenna gain her freedom to help her friends, and can they finally cut the head off the serpent that is the Clan? Or will humanity forever remain in its iron grip?

I’m Miranda Stork, and I’m addicted. Addicted to writing and reading books, anyway. And chocolate, but that’s another issue – no interventions, please.

I live in the middle of a forest in North Yorkshire, spending my spare time as the wild woman of the woods, scaring small children and upsetting the sheep. On the days that I feel like being civilized, or I haven’t got any unicorns to ride, I sit down and pour the tumbling thoughts in my head out onto digital paper. Mainly the thoughts and characters come out in paranormal form, with a good smattering of romance, because everyone likes a good cuddle. But you can also find strong elements of thrillers, myths, and even dystopia amongst the pages of all my novels. I’ve wanted to write books ever since I first realised that fairytales were not the newspapers of the fairy kingdom, but the imaginings of actual people who wanted to tell fancy made-up stories to other people. From that moment, I was hooked.

Why do I write? Good question. It might be easier to just keep the stories in my head, or even just to write them for myself. But I want to share them. There is no greater delight for a writer than when a reader devours your book, and declares, “Something in that novel resonated with me. And I want MORE.” So grab your lucky clover and a baseball bat (there’s some nasty paranormal creatures where we’re going), eat the cookie with ‘eat me’ tagged on it, and enter through the tiny door into the world of Miranda Stork…

Hey everyone! 🙂 Exciting stuff today – I just heard the first two chapters of the audiobook for Vigilante of Shadows! I cannot describe to you how amazing it was to hear Aodhan’s ‘voice’ – I nearly fell off my chair with excitement! Okay, so maybe I’m being overdramatic, but the narrator is doing an incredible job at turning my pages into real people.

So…do you want to have a listen? 😉 Here’s the snippet from the first chapter of the Vigilante of Shadows audiobook (I don’t want to give away too much, wait until it’s out – it’ll be worth it), as narrated by the awesome Matt Lloyd Davies. (You can find out more about him here – http://www.matthewlloyddavies.com/) You can check out all the other projects he has going here too, there’s some great audiobooks he’s already done for other authors.

Hey, everyone! 🙂 I’m just reposting this here, in case anyone who follows me here isn’t on my Facebook page. Because I recently hit my next milestone of 2000 likes, I’m giving away some prizes in an awesome contest! You can win an ARC of Creator of Shadows, before anyone else gets a look at it, AND you can also win a $20 Amazon Giftcard to spend on whatever books you like! 😉

And that’s all there is to it! It can be a review you’ve left in the past too, it doesn’t matter whether it’s from a few months ago, or a brand new one. The names of all contestants will be put into a hat, and two lucky winners will receive an ARC, and one lucky winner will get an ARC and the $20 Amazon giftcard, drawn on the 10th May 2014!

*Rules/Disclaimer* This contest is open to followers of this page only, and can be from anywhere in the world. This promotion is in no way associated with, administered by, or endorsed by Facebook.

Andred’s eyelids burst open as she let out a cry, staring blankly up at the ceiling and not knowing if she really had called out of not. As the dream tumbled into place, she reached across a shaking hand to turn the lamp on, needing the comfort of the glow around her bedroom. As the bulb burst into life, shining on every corner of the room, she eased herself up. Her flesh still trembled from the nightmare, and she wiped a hand across her face, staring down at it with wide eyes as she realised she was coated in cold sweat. It had drenched her bedsheets, all of them twisted and tangled up in her legs and half on the floor.

Letting out a shaky breath, the goddess leaned her head back against the headboard, her chest heaving like a pump. The nightmare had been too real, too vivid. So many wailing voices and cries, all trapped together in the darkness. And that feeling that hovered over them all, a being of unimaginable terror that prevented any of them from ever leaving. And the Andred herself had been one of the many, calling out names of people who would never come, who would never hear them, shrieking until her vocal chords gave out.

As she rubbed her sore eyes with her fingers, trying to ease herself back into some form of calm, she heard footsteps hammering down the hallways outside. A second later, the door burst open to reveal Vladimir, out of breath with flashing eyes. Casting a quick glance around the room, he came over to Andred’s side, taking in her frightened expression and soaked bedsheets. Shaking his head, he grasped her cheeks gently in his palms, forcing her to stare into his piercing eyes. “Andred, what happened? I heard you screaming.”

“Oh, Vladimir,” Andred whispered, her own voice croaky and weak, as though she really had been screaming endlessly in that horrifying void. Her eyes fell to his side, unable to look him in the eyes, and they fell on the sight of his sword, hanging by his side. He was dressed only in pyjama bottoms, but he had still found time to arm himself. Throwing her arms around his neck, uncaring what the implications might be, she let out a sob.

“Hey, ssh. Was it a nightmare?” the vampire asked gently, concern thickening his accent as he rubbed a hand over her back soothingly. Andred could feel his palms pressing her closer with each motion, willing her to be alright.

Nodding her head profusely so he would know she was otherwise unaffected, she pulled away and leaned against her headboard again, locking puffy red eyes with his fierce gaze. “Vladimir, it was a terrible nightmare. And the worst part is…it was real,” she whispered.

“No, not if it was a nightmare. It will—“

“If I dreamt it, it was a nightmare, Vladimir,” she countered firmly, clasping his hand so tightly her nails dug into his skin. Throwing the sheet off herself, she drew her knees up to her chest and let go of him, hugging them into her chin. “You’ve never asked about my ancient years. I was known then by my formal name of Andraste. My sister was Brigitania, and between us, we were in charge of the land now known as Britain—here, in short. She had the north, and I had the south. We were older than those names, of course, but it’s the name we were known by when we were truly known as Goddesses of the Green Isle. I had the gift of divination, and I could bestow it on anyone I chose. But it also means when I dream, I see into other worlds, other places.” She gave an involuntary shudder. “And I saw somewhere terrible tonight.”

Searching her face, Vladimir asked quietly, “Where was it?”

Andred screwed up her face to catch onto a fragment of the dream, a memory which was fast fading away with being awake in the light and safety of her room. “I’m not sure, but…it wasn’t here. It was somewhere else, another plane. Like the Otherworld, but not there. And there were voices, so many voices. All calling out and crying our names. Like they knew us. And…I think they do.”

Vladimir’s features paled, and he shifted on the bedspread, pulling one leg up to see the goddess better. Giving a shrug, he asked, “Are you going to give me a clue?”

“The Dansu?”

His mouth fell open as he let out a soft gasp, and he blinked a few times, carding his hand through his hair. Finally he uttered, “But it can’t be. All those years ago, they helped us to fight the demons. We knew they were going to the Otherworld—“

“They never got there,” Andred interrupted, shaking her head slowly. Biting her lip, she fisted her hands against the sheet, scrunching it in her palms. “I’m not sure what’s happened, but they’re trapped somewhere. Someone—or something—is keeping them there. And I don’t know why.”

That’s right – I woke up this morning, opened up my computer, and couldn’t stop grinning when I realised. Amazon has finally made Vigilante of Shadows PERMA-FREE! So what better time than to do a little feature on it? 😉

SUSPENSE/HORROR SEMI-FINALIST IN The Kindle Book Review’s 2013 Best Indie Book Awards!

****
“For readers who like to lose themselves in a darker, more complex world than the one we live in, Vigilante of Shadows is a Paranormal Thriller dream come true!” –Trish Marie Dawson, Author of ‘The Station’ Series, 5 Stars

“I was forcefully grabbed from the get-go, and shoved into a story so fast, I could have gotten whiplash.” –Tara S. Wood, Author of Redemption in Blood, 5 Stars

****

Aodhan clutched uselessly at his head, groaning. He knew it was useless, because the voice was not inside his head. It followed him, skimming across buildings and land. It had followed him since he was sixteen, and it still followed him today, like a memory too horrific to be forgotten…

Aodhan is a shadow-demon, hardened and cold after years of being alone, after his love, his Entwined, was cruelly taken away from him. He has closed his heart to the world, and now spends his life ridding the world of men like those who took his beloved away, an immortal hit-man…

Arianwen Harris is a young DCI, working for York City Police. When a known criminal is found viciously killed, she finds herself trailing a hit-man who has seemed to escape clutches again and again…but she begins to find herself drawn to his dark charms and roguish good looks…

As their two worlds collide, Aodhan and Arianwen find themselves coming together to escape a far greater enemy, one that threatens to create a world far worse than the one they live in. As they battle to hold back the oncoming forces, fate has another plan; one to draw them together and heal their broken pasts together…

*NOTE FOR THE US!* It is showing up as free on my screen (and it’s permafree, so the price will not go up again), but some people have reported that it is showing up still with a price. I’m emailing Amazon about it now, but please give it a few hours before downloading, just in case. If you can still see ‘.99c’ on your screen, please wait until it shows up free!*

This is what I can see, so it’s definitely happening, but might take a few hours to update!

Well, this is a turn up for the books! Another bad ‘book’ joke, I’m sorry. 😛 Amazon has published Keeper of Shadows a lot earlier than it was supposed to go up, so you can officially get your copy now! Just scroll down to find out a little more about the book. And if you do pick it up, thank you so much for your support, and I hope you really enjoy it. 🙂 ❤

The year is 2038.

Feoran has followed through on his promise to enslave humanity, and humanity is being crushed under his oppression. Anyone who rebels is sent to the Factory.

Until one woman, Psyche Tawton, decides to run.

And she will prove his undoing.

Psyche leads an everyday life—well, for someone alive in the era of the Clan’s long shadow. A single event involving her best friend and her friends’ vampire master puts her on a road to rebellion, causing a ripple that will change the course of history, and the lives of those she comes into contact with.

Then she meets Torolf.

A werewolf with a chequered past, Torolf is instantly intrigued when he lays eyes on the violet-eyed beauty, but the wolf within him cannot accept a human as his mate. But deciding whether they should give in to their desires is the least of their troubles, as Feoran sets them firmly in his sights and makes them the centrefold for his newest horrific campaign. Starting with her best friend sent over to the Factory.

With the help of Torolf, the other immortals, and the Human Rebellion, Psyche will be the catalyst for the most important change in human history since the Clan took over. But she will also be the catalyst for her own fate, unlocking a secret about herself that is so destructive…

Hello, everyone! 🙂 Well, I’ve actually managed to scrape enough time for myself lately that I’ve decided to set up a new blog schedule, rather than leaving it to ferment on its own. So borrowing an idea I’ve seen quite a few authors doing, I’m going to set up each day with a theme (one for Mondays, one for Tuesdays, etc.) so hopefully this might make the blog a bit more fun to read! 🙂

So of course, Sundays are going to be…..drum roll please……Snippet Sundays! There may also be more gifs. I’m just warning you. And this week I’ve have a snippet from Keeper of Shadows, due out on Tuesday 30th June! Remember to mark your calenders! 😀

Excerpt From Keeper Of Shadows…

People hung about in small groups, bartering over this and that, shouting and calling for produce. Many of them were behind makeshift stalls of wood and metal poles, calling and hawking their goods. Coloured sheets flapped limply in the breeze, some patterned with long-ago threads. The sheer vibrancy of the colours alone flooded Psyche’s brain, sending her senses into overdrive. And the produce itself was enough to keep her staring for hours, a treasure trove of foil-wrapped meats and sweets.

“Anything you want?” Torolf inquired, watching her face light up like a child’s. He smirked, and gave a sly wink. “I’d sure like to get you another chocolate bar. I remember how you enjoyed the last one,” he whispered next to her ear.

Well, that’s the rudest thing said about chocolate I ever heard.

Psyche flushed scarlet, and shook her head, tearing her eyes away from the temptation of both sweets and husky werewolf. “I’m good, thank you. I don’t want to ask you for anything.”

“You never ask me for anything. Didn’t you say you only once had chocolate? Before I got you some in the house, I mean?” He lost the smirk, and shook his head slowly. “There’s something not right about a world in which a woman only has chocolate twice in her lifetime. I’ll get you some chocolate. Women love chocolate. It’s traditional.”

Psyche stuttered. “Well, yes, I suppose. But I don’t—“

Her words were cut off as Torolf dragged her over to the stall, amid a worried sigh from Arianwen, who relented with a small grin. He stopped Psyche in front of one covered in various goods, squeezing her shoulders firmly to make sure she stayed there and didn’t run off from embarrassment. Small shaped objects in several colours were in paper bags, and one side of the stall was strewn with foil-wrapped rectangles. He gestured to the stall-keeper, a short man wearing a ratty blue shirt and sporting a scarred eye. As Psyche dared to look closer, she saw that the eye beneath the cut eyelid was milky-white. The stall-keeper grimaced at her, folding his arms, and turned his attention to Torolf.

“Aye?”

“Your finest milk chocolate, good inn-keeper.”

“We’ve got the usual. Take it or leave it.”

“Crappy brown-coloured plastic it is,” Torolf wise-cracked, grinning widely. The stall-keeper shook his head and muttered, turning away with a sheet of brown paper in his hands.

Psyche tried to protest once more. “Really, Torolf, this isn’t necessary. I can—“

Torolf closed his eyes for a second as the stall-keeper gathered up a few of the bars, spinning her around to face him. “Psyche, stop it. Just allow someone to look after you for a bit, okay? I’m not telling you what to do, or forcing you to do it. You don’t have to fight me. I’m just trying to do something nice for you. You know, and it’s chocolate.” Ignoring her open-mouthed gape, he turned to grab the package off the wizened man behind the stall, passing him a few bent and tarnished coins. Without another word, he shoved the parcel towards Psyche.

Fine, but if I get a coffee one, I’m out of here.

Regretting her earlier treatment of him during the day, she whispered, “Thank you.”

“Just promise to eat it in front of me,” Torolf chuckled hoarsely in reply. Seeing her still-humbled expression, he cleared his throat. His hand came up to scratch nervously at his scalp, something he seemed to do a lot when Psyche ignored his flirtations.

Psyche’s face broke into a cheeky grin at his uncomfortable stance, and she raised an eyebrow. “I might. Maybe I’ll wait until I’m in bed.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief as they rose to meet the werewolf’s, his jaw dropped at her bold statement.

“When you guys have finished with the pillow talk, can we please get going? We need to talk, and I need a drink. I’ve got Irish in me, you know.” Arianwen’s clear tones cut through the reverie, bringing the pair back to focus. She set on her heel and disappeared through the throng of people, heading towards the back of the Market.

My lovely friend Kristie Haigwood accosted myself and four other authors one night, and asked if we would take part in this thing called ‘THE NEXT BIG THING’. Thank you, Kristie! 🙂 It is designed to raise awareness of our work, or work in progress. We do that by answering ten questions about it. We graciously thank the person who nominated us, and tag five other authors whose work could well be that NEXT BIG THING.
Without further ado, I give you a small taste of me and my characters –

Q#1: What is the title of your book?
Vigilante of Shadows…take a gander at the cover!

Q#2: Where did the idea for the book come from?
Tough question…I’m not sure I can remember that well, as I began writing it two years ago, and left it for a long while until recently. I think the idea came from the moral issues surrounding criminals and how we deal with them. The idea of vigilantes is a strange one, as they are people who use ‘morals’ in place of law…but then usually end up breaking those morals themselves through that very act. It’s a Catch 22. On top of that, Shadow People are something that have always fascinated me. It’s too big a subject to go into here, and I don’t want to bore anyone, but look them up. They are a subject just begging to be used in a book–or a series, as I’m doing now. 🙂Q#3: What genre does your book fall under?
Paranormal Thriller/RomanceQ#4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I love this question! When I write my books, I always have them play out in my head like a play, so it’s a natural thing to have to think of who would play them. I would love Arianwen Harris to be played by Julianne Moore. I think she’s a fabulous actress, and she has the right looks and mannerisms to boot. For Aodhan…it would have to be Gerard Butler. Apart from being one of the sexiest men ever, I think he could pull off the bad guy/good guy thing needed. And for Shiner, it couldn’t be anyone else other than Kevin Whatley–he’s who I had in mind when I wrote the part 😀Q#5: What is the one sentence synopsis for the book?
When a known criminal is found viciously killed, Arianwen Harris finds herself trailing a hit-man who has seemed to escape clutches again and again…Q#6: Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
A bit of both. My book will be published through my own publishing company, Moon Rose Publishing.Q#7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took me about six months–but then it did sit for a while before I went back to do the second draft. 🙂Q#8: What other books would you compare this story to, in your genre?
Hmmm…is it big-headed to say I can’t think of any? I’m sure there ARE, but none that I’ve read. And I’ve read a lot of books. All my books are often a smash-together of different genres, so in this book there is a crime thriller, a paranormal romance, and shadow people. Answers on a postcard, please?Q#9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?
It could have been anything–I can’t remember! But sometimes the oddest thing will set my imagination off. I tend to daydream story plan a lot, so often it’s something silly, like something that a person said to me, a vase, the TV, or any other number of random objects. I’ve always been interested in the paranormal, so when I find out something new about it, I want need to write another book. 😀Q#10: What else about the book might pique the readers’ interest?
Sexy men, sexy women, fast cars…yes, they all make an appearance in this book, but you gotta love those creepy yet funny Shadow Men. That should pique it enough to at least take a look and find out what they are! Well, okay…maybe this trailer will help 😀

I’d like to pass the torch to five deserving authors, and let them tell you all about their work. Their posts will bear the same title and will be live on or around 28th November. Here they are:

When Witches Go Bad…

First Of The Pagan Year Warriors

Samhain - it all goes wrong for one young woman when she and a friend play with the shadows one night...

A Grim Reaper With A Difference…

When a headstrong young man dies, he is given the chance to redeem himself...and another.

The Grim Alliance Continues…

Gabe has a past even the other Reapers shudder at...will it haunt him forever?

The Third Installment Of The Grim Alliance

Alisha was always close to her sister - but can she stand by when her life is threatened, even knowing she will no longer be a Reaper?

The Fourth Book In The Grim Alliance

No one's love life is easy - but when twins Drew and Devin fall for the same girl, it can be catastrophic...

The Grim Alliances Continues!

Mika has always felt more out of place and time than the other Reapers - but will she be in time to rescue a Valkyrie she can't take her eyes off?

The Book That Started Them All…

A werewolf tale that combines suspense, romance, thriller, and horror. The first book I ever wrote.

The Book That Continued Erin And Conner’s Story…

The continuation of Conner and Erin's story, with more twists and turns, more werewolves, and more plot surprises you never saw coming.

The Final Chapter To Conner And Erin…

Yes, I've been nudged into deciding to write the final book for Conner and Erin. It was never meant to be written, but it's going to focus on Filtiarn and what happened between the ancient events, and the present day.